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We all know that your Steelers Mock GM has been coveting Stanford OG David DeCastro, but Miami took him in the top 10. DeCastro was as close to a sure thing as they come, with comparisons to Steve Hutchinson and Alan Faneca. But, after all, he is a guard, and guard typically are not valued as highly as, say, left tackles, for instance. In addition to DeCastro, that Stanford o-line also featured a 3 year starter at LT who protected Andrew Luck's blindside while also sealing off the edge for a top-notch Cardinal rushing game. Unlike the Steeler run game, which is predominantly right handed (the LG pulls to the right and the RB runs toward the right side behind the LG and RT more often than not), the Stanford run game was predominantly left handed instead (the RG [DeCastro] pulled to the left and the RB runs toward the left side behind the RG [DeCastro] and the LT [Jonathan Martin]).

This season, we are relying on Marcus Gilbert (who was surprisingly good at RT last season as a rookie) to be able to make the switch to LT in year two. However, I have my doubts...Gilbert seems more like a big-bodied mauler type that you'd prefer at RT than a LT which requires more athleticism, balance, and agility, which are Jonathan Martin's strong suits. Martin is durable, has a great work ethic, is a quality teammate, with good technique, and solid fundamentals. He is a natural knee bender with nimble feet who displays an understanding of positioning and angles, and has shown the ability to lock on to a defender and sustain his block.

This move gives us a legit left tackle, and allows us to keep Gilbert at RT, where he fits best. It also allows us to move Willie Colon inside at guard, where many of us felt would be the more natural position for him anyway (Colon can be a powerful blocker, but has always struggled with the outside speed rush, and an Achilles injury is certainly not going to help him in that regard...playing him inside in a phone booth instead of outside on an island will play to his strengths and minimize his weaknesses).

The Pittsburgh Steelers would like to welcome Stanford OT Jonathan Martin into the Steeler family!

Last edited by RuthlessBurgher; 04-18-2012 at 10:34 AM.

NFL player locker room talk: Discussing what can be done about racial inequality and criminal justice reform.

According to the highest office in the country, some "very fine people" marched with torches in a violent protest in Charlottesville, but participating in a non-violent protest on a football field means you are an S.O.B. who should be fired.

Chadman PM'ed me a list of potential choices for Chicago...and whattaya know...he wanted Jonathan Martin and Cordy Glenn. Now I'm really glad that I reached out to San Diego yesterday (before you sent me your picks, Chad...I promise).

So, with the top OL candidates off the board, the Bears make up for the fact that they gave away Greg Olsen for peanuts because Mike Martz hates tight ends. Now that Martz is gone, suddenly the Bears need a TE again (unless you want to rely on Matt Spaeth, of course ).

The Chicago Bears select Stanford TE Coby Fleener.

Interesting note...uppity Stanford now has four top 20 pick in this mock (1, 8, 18, 19) while a dominant football powerhouse like Alabama only has 2 so far (4, 16 with Upshaw, Kirkpatrick, and Hightower still available).

NFL player locker room talk: Discussing what can be done about racial inequality and criminal justice reform.

According to the highest office in the country, some "very fine people" marched with torches in a violent protest in Charlottesville, but participating in a non-violent protest on a football field means you are an S.O.B. who should be fired.

The Titans could consider adding a CB to replace the departed Cortland Finnegan, but Dre Kirkpatrick and Janorris Jenkins have both had off-the-field issues, and they have had bad experiences taking a CB with red flags before *cough*Pacman*cough*cough*. They like Stephon Gilmore but don't love him here, so they'll stick with Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner as their starters for now and look to add corner depth later in this draft.

Besides, the Titans have Hall of Fame o-lineman Mike Munchak as head coach and Hall of Fame o-lineman Bruce Matthews as OL coach, so they'll want to draft big and draft ugly. Their tackles (Roos and Stewart) are solid, but they could use some reinforcements inside. They did add an aging Steve Hutchinson in free agency, but could really use an upgrade at center, because Eugene Amano sucks. And since there is really only one good center in this draft then a bunch of mediocre prospects after that, you might as well pull the trigger on the top center here.

The Tennessee Titans select Wisconsin center Peter Konz.

NFL player locker room talk: Discussing what can be done about racial inequality and criminal justice reform.

According to the highest office in the country, some "very fine people" marched with torches in a violent protest in Charlottesville, but participating in a non-violent protest on a football field means you are an S.O.B. who should be fired.

According to the highest office in the country, some "very fine people" marched with torches in a violent protest in Charlottesville, but participating in a non-violent protest on a football field means you are an S.O.B. who should be fired.

The Green Bay Packers biggest need is a legit pass rusher opposite Clay Matthews. Once Courtney Upshaw fell out of the top 20, it became reasonable for Pack to go get him. Now who ya gonna double-team? Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, and Christian Ponder just peed themselves.

The Green Bay Packers select Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw.

NFL player locker room talk: Discussing what can be done about racial inequality and criminal justice reform.

According to the highest office in the country, some "very fine people" marched with torches in a violent protest in Charlottesville, but participating in a non-violent protest on a football field means you are an S.O.B. who should be fired.

After franchising Cliff Avril and re-signing Stephen Tulloch and Jeff Backus, the Lions biggest need is for a starting corner opposite Chris Houston (now that Eric Wright has signed with Tampa Bay). And since Mo Claiborne is the only CB to come off the board so far, they have their pick between Janoris Jenkins, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Stephon Gilmore. Since Chris Houston is only 5'11" 178 lbs., the Lions decide to complement him with a bigger corner, who measures in at 6'2" 186 lbs.

The Detroit Lions select Alabama CB Dre Kirkpatrick.

NFL player locker room talk: Discussing what can be done about racial inequality and criminal justice reform.

According to the highest office in the country, some "very fine people" marched with torches in a violent protest in Charlottesville, but participating in a non-violent protest on a football field means you are an S.O.B. who should be fired.

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With the 24th pick of PlanetSteelers 2012 Board Mock Draft, the San Diego Chargers select Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State.
The Chargers had significant problems with rushing the passer this past season. Part of that problem was a past 1st round draft pick in Larry English not panning out like the organization had hoped. This time, they hope their luck is far better. McClellin is fast rising up draft boards due to his versatility as well as his non-stop motor. This guy never gives up on a play. He's physical, a good run stopper, excellent at getting after the QB and can hold his own against running backs and tight ends in pass coverage. He was used in multiple positions on Boise State's defense. He lined up at defensive end, outside linebacker and even got some looks at inside linebacker. We look at this in San Diego and believe we are getting a Brooks Reed (he plays for the Houston Texans and had 6 sacks as a rookie) type player at worst and if things really work out well, think he could become a premier pass rusher in the NFL. McClellin will instantly give the Chargers pass rush a bolt of much needed life (no pun intended). I'll be perfectly honest, this is one guy I'd take a long look at if the Steelers stay with the 24th pick next week and he's still on the board.Shea-McClellin.jpg